Publications
The Center for Automotive Research is involved in the research of significant issues that relate to the future direction of the global automotive industry. As a nonprofit research organization, and in cooperation with study funders, most CAR research is released publicly through this website.
The U.S. Automotive Market and Industry in 2025
This study conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) estimates the likely parameters of the U.S. motor vehicle market and industry in 2025. The first section discusses a general outlook for the U.S. motor vehicle market in the year 2025 based on long term social and economic factors. The…
IntelliDriveSM Initiatives in Michigan: Leading the States Forward
smThe United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has launched a national program to enhance vehicle transportation through the applications of communication technologies. This program, known as IntelliDriveSM (succeeding the USDOT’s VII, for Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration, program), targets safety, mobility, and environmental improvements through a combination of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications. Already,…
Contribution of the Automotive Industry to the Economies of all Fifty State and the United States
The United States automotive industry is a critical component of economic growth with extensive interconnections across the industrial and cultural fabric of the U.S. This report outlines many known elements and highlights tremendously important associations beyond the market space of manufacturing. It touches on the following elements as they relate…
Powertrain Forecast and Analysis: What is Coming and What Are the Implications for the Specialty Equipment and Performance Aftermarket Industry
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have engaged in a multi-phased project to create vehicle technology planning and business strategy guideposts for SEMA members. The first Phase I report in the program—The Specialty Equipment Company of the Future: Guideposts for Technology Forecasting and…
The Major Determinants of U.S. Automotive Demand: Factors Driving the U.S. Automotive Market And Their Implications for Specialty Equipment and Performance Aftermarket Suppliers
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have engaged in a multi-phased project to create business strategy guideposts for SEMA members.
Collaboration in the Automotive Supply Chain – Realizing the Full Potential of a Powerful Tool
The automotive industry has undergone a transformational evolution over the last two decades. Compared to just 20 years ago, the industry is now building different, more complex products and using changing corporate structure to deliver more content to consumers while actually decreasing prices. The increases in efficiency necessary to accomplish…
The Specialty Equipment Automotive Company of the Future: Guideposts for Strategic Planning
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have engaged in a multi-phased project to create business strategy guideposts for SEMA members. The first report in the program—The Specialty Equipment Company of the Future: Guideposts for Technology Forecasting and Strategic Planning—identifies strategic challenges for SEMA…
Line of Business Strategy for Vehicle-Infrastructure Integration – Part I: Strategic and Business Plan – Vision of Partnership and National Leadership
Part I of the Line of Business Strategy for Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) provides an executive summary and high-level overview of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) VII strategy in terms of mission, vision, and customer/partner needs and goals
The Strategic Value of Information in the RFQ Response Process
The gestation of a new component made by an automotive supplier typically begins with a Request For Quotation (RFQ) being issued by the supplier’s customer, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The supplier typically has about two weeks to submit its response.
Innovate or Die
The new business forces acting on the industry are challenging traditional beliefs, and only those capable of adaption will survive.